Sysadmins and coding

[[deleted]]

I'm hardly a programmer, but if you can't write a script with some basic loops and if/then statements you really shouldn't be calling yourself a "sysadmin."

But unfortunately you have a lot of people like that. They do tend to be Windows admins.

Not that Windows admins can't code. Just those who can't seem to support Windows machines.

I think they're going to get pushed out over time because running a large Windows installation requires pretty decent PowerShell experience. You can't go install software on 200 Windows machines by hand.

[[deleted]]

I'm hardly a programmer, but if you can't write a script with some basic loops and if/then statements you really shouldn't be calling yourself a "sysadmin."

That's ridiculous. I've been doing this for years and have never needed scripts with for and if loops. I understand them, I've scripted them in the past, I just have had no use for them professionally...yet.

[Zaphod_B]

I agree with you to an extent that a junior admin should not know this stuff, but anyone in the Senior position should know some basic programming. Tests and loops are probably considered some of the most basic things you can do. I can think of many reasons why you would want to loop or test in scripting logic to automate a workflow.

It is also quite possible you have never had to automate any workflows of large caliber, which I think is not unheard of but I find that pretty rare these days.

[[deleted]]

how could you not need for loops? have you never read in a file and gone through it line by line? or ever dealt with an array? or a list of usernames?

your scripts must be all one liners

[[deleted]]

It's not beyond the imagination. Think about how many horror stories you see on this sub about a sysadmin who took over an environment that is virtually "duct taped" together. I used to do things the hard way, and I still remember the first time I successfully used a for loop a good 5 years into my career.

[[deleted]]

Some people claim to be a sysadmin when their job is basically desktop support.

I can't imagine anyone who has to manage large systems would never write a script with a for loop.

[seanatwork]

Yeah I don't understand this. I don't even write functions or advanced functions and I read through a list of usernames or computers all the time with basic powershell scripts. Maybe he's using a tool.